[Name of the Writer]
[Name of Instructor]
Internship
[Date]
Journal Assingment
Part 1
Q.1 Now that you are in the midst of your internship/job/courtroom observation what skills do you wish you had that you don't have now?
A. Every individual has skills that assist them with the job they are working on. Having skills is one thing employing those skills to the fullest to better perform routine tasks is another. Working in the 113th precinct has provided me with an opportunity to acquire multiple skills that would help me in the long term. However, there are still some skills that I must acquire to be a competent police officer. These skills include writing crime reports and conducting interviews of criminals and victims
Q.2 What skills would you want to improve?
A. Every police department has a challenging and competitive environment, 113th precinct is no exception. There are numerous skills that an individual must have to perform their duties effectively. Having certain skills does not guarantee your progress in a career. However, continuously improving those skills certainly elevates one to a higher level. Apart from being a hardworking, disciplined and punctual intern, I would like to improve on my ability to remain calm in distressful scenarios.
Q.3 Why do you think these skills are important for the position?
A.Working in the capacity of an intern in the 113th precinct requires a combination of multiple skills. These skills are not only helping me in effectively complete my daily tasks, but they certainly would help me once I am recruited as a full-time police officer for the 113th precinct in the future. Witnessing crime as a police officer requires effectively writing crime reports that would assist other departments with the investigation. Furthermore, interviewing victims and criminals to separate facts from fiction is another necessary skill for an officer. Lastly, to remain calm under pressure helps an officer in the line of duty. These are the skills I deem vital to have for the position.
Q.4 How do you think you could go about improving those skills?
A. Working as a police officer requires lots of mental and emotional stability because every now and then one comes across multiple situations that test the mettle of the police officer’s abilities. A police officer must have the skill to remain calm under pressure. A seasoned police officer does not panic when faced with stressful situations. I am working my way up to acquire this essential skill. For this not only I am meditating daily, but I am also eating a healthy diet. Meditation would certainly help me keep my nerve when confronting any stressful situation.
Part 2
Q.1 Please discuss at least one co-worker or court personnel who you admire.
A.There are numerous co-workers that I admire and respect from the bottom of my heart. They all have a certain set of skills that make them stand out in their capacities. However, Sergeant Macnear and Mamadou Bah are the co-workers whom I admire the most. Mr. Macnear deals with domestic violence incidents, while Mr. Mamadou conducts interviews with victims. Their adherence to the laws and compassion for the victims make them stand out.
Q.2 What makes them special?
A.Domestic violence is a situation in which the officers do not know what they are going to confront until they have reached the scene. Many officers tend to mishandle a domestic violence situation which puts their lives at risk. However, the sagacity of Sgt. Macnear, confronting domestic violence situations, must be appreciated. Furthermore, domestic violence has serious health and psychological complications for the victims. The victims of domestic abuse need compassion and empathy to help ease their scourge. Mr. Mamadou is tasked with carrying out the interviews of the individuals affected by domestic abuse. The compassion and empathy at the display from Mr. Mamadou during interviews of domestic abuse victims is remarkable.
Q.3 What can you learn from them in terms of job skills, relations with co-workers, relations with the public, ethics, etc.?
A.Learning is a continuous process. One should continuously seek to acquire positive skills of the co-workers around them. The sagacity and adherence to the law of Sgt. Macnear is helping me to learn that one should never undermine or subvert the law while performing their duties. Furthermore, Officer Mamadou has helped me to learn that victims of domestic abuse need to be handled with compassion and empathy.
Q.4 Do you have regular contact with them?
A.Yes, I have regular contact with both Sgt. Macnear and Officer Macnear during office timings because I am tasked with documenting the interviews and following up with domestic abuse victims.
Q.5 How can you maximize the value of your interactions with them?
A.There are certain ways which can maximize the value of my interactions with Sgt. Macnear and Office Mamadou. The nature of my responsibilities demands thorough communication with these people. Furthermore, I am not ashamed of asking for a piece of advice from any of these two people. Certainly, the communication and the advice they offer would help me in the long run.
Part 3
Q.1 Discuss any ethical issues that might have arisen in the course of your internship/employment/court observation.
A.Every day is a different day when one is working in the police department. Each day one comes across different issues. It was one rainy winter night when I had to stay in the office till late to complete some significant work. Just when I completed the task on hand and decided to leave, one of my co-worker, who was also leaving the office, offered me a ride home. The co-worker seemed intoxicated while he was talking to me. At that point, I had to decide whether to accept the offer or not and whether or not allow the co-worker to drive as it is illegal to drive under influence.
Q.2 In your efforts to establish a good rapport with your peers, were you ever placed in situations that compromised your values?
A.Maintaining a healthy relationship with your co-workers is one of the most important aspects of a successful professional life. However, the issue that I came across while leaving for home placed me in a situation in which the values that I hold dear were on the brink of being compromised. As an aspiring police officer, I would not tolerate anyone breaking the laws in front of my eyes. Therefore, when I was placed in a situation where my values were on the line against the good rapport with my co-worker, I decided to hold the integrity of my values.
Q.3 How did you resolve them?
A.As an intern working in a police station, I am equally responsible for upholding the sanctity of the law as a full-time police officer. Therefore, I intervened when I suspected my co-worker of being under the influence of alcohol. I stopped my co-worker from driving the car. As I am a valid license holder, I drove the car that night. I dropped my co-worker at their place and took a taxi home from there. This is how I resolved the issue.
Q.4 Looking back would you have done something differently?
A.The moment I suspected my co-worker being intoxicated, I decided that I had to intervene. Although I could have had took a taxi right from the office to home, I decided to drove my co-worker's car. If I had allowed my co-worker to drive that night, it might have cost them their job and live. Hence, I would not have done anything differently that night.
Part 4
Q.1 How do you think your new knowledge, increased understanding of the legal/criminal justice system, the new skills acquired, and the personal growth you have experienced will impact your future in terms of academic achievements and career goals?
A.I am currently affiliated with 113th precinct in the capacity of an intern. So far it has been a great learning experience. There are multiple skills that I have acquired during my time at the 113th precinct. When I first decided to do an internship at the 113th precinct, I had just one thing in the back of my mind; this opportunity is the first step towards my career as a full-time police officer serving the community. Working within the 113th precinct has widened my knowledge base. Additionally, my understanding of the criminal justice system has also increased. I have experienced significant personal growth that would help me in the future. For instance, having a deep understanding of the law and having hands-on experience of working as a police officer internee would further fuel my desire to opt police officer as a full-time job. Lastly, the skills, knowledge, and experience gained so far will help me excel in academics as well.
Part 5
Q.1 What are the current job requirements of specific individuals you work with or observe in your internship?
A.Numerous people are serving in the 113th precinct with each coming from a diverse background and experience. Each post demands specific skills and education to get posted on that post. As I have mostly worked with Sergeant. Macnear, I would describe his job requirements only. In order to become a Sergeant in the New York Police Department, one must have a minimum of three years of experience working with the department. Those possessing the required experience would have to undergo a test based on technical and departmental policies questions. Job responsibilities of a Sergeant include supervision of a contingent of officers. Additionally, they monitor the progress of the ongoing investigation.
Q.2 Are you presently qualified to hold their positions?
A.Currently, I am working in the capacity of an intern. Therefore, I am not qualified to become a Sergeant at the moment. Once I become a full-time officer and gain three years of relevant experience, I would be able to hold the position of a Sergeant.
Q.3 If not, what further education and/or experience would you need?
A.As I am currently working as an intern and still pursuing my education, I am not qualified for the post of Sergeant. However, once I complete my educational career, I am looking to become a police officer at the 113th precinct. In order to become a Sergeant, I must possess a college degree. After that, I must get recruited as a police officer in the New York Police Department. After gaining three years of relevant experience at the post of the officer, I would be eligible to make an appearance for the recruitment test for Sergeant.
Part 6
Q.1 To what degree do you feel under pressure to get all your work done and meet deadlines?
A.Working in a police department is no easy job and 113th precinct is no exception. With each passing moment, there is a new development taking place. The developments range from a crime being committed to a suspect being apprehended, to interviewing victims and criminals. With so many developments, it is necessary to complete the tasks and work assigned within the stipulated period to keep up with the pace of challenging and developing environment. I must admit, there were certain times when the tasks assigned to me seemed impossible to complete within the stipulated time. However, I kept my head down and kept my nerve to complete the tasks within the stipulated time. Hence, sometimes I am pressurized by the amount of work assigned. However, this pressure tends to get the best out of me pushing me to complete the tasks within the stipulated time.
Q.2 How successful are you at completing all the tasks you are given?
A.Although I sometimes feel pressurized by the amount of work assigned to me, there has never been an instance when I was not able to meet the deadlines of the tasks. Working in the 113th precinct demands continuous adaptation to the developing and challenging environment. My degree of completing the tasks assigned can be measured by the fact that I have never exceeded a deadline of a task assigned to me. I have always worked hard to complete the tasks at hand. Having punctuality as my primary characteristic, I am able to deliver work on time. Hard work when coupled with punctuality enables me to deliver quality work within the stipulated time.
Q.3 Are there time-management strategies that you use or hope to develop?
A.In order to excel in a position, one needs to have effective time management strategies at their disposal. At the start of my internship, I was not adequately familiar with any time management strategies. However, with the passage of time and guidance from senior co-workers, I have adopted several time management strategies that help me to complete the tasks at hand within the stipulated time without compromising on the quality. These strategies include maintaining a task list, focusing on tasks that have been assigned higher priority, reducing unnecessary interruptions during working hours and reviewing my day before ending the shift.
